The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) discussed how the Philippine agri-fishery sector could improve food security and the economy.

During the bilateral meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and FAO Director Quo Dongyu shared that one of the Philippines’ main agenda is to strengthen the agri-food systems and focus on the aquaculture sector.

According to Dongyu, the fish sector is a promising industry that would foster sufficient livelihood, ensure security and nutrition, and largely contribute to the Philippine economic growth.

These presentations were made at the High-level Ministerial Session of the 37th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, which is FAO’s top governing body.

Tiu Laurel commended the mentioned support for the fish industry, as the FAO’s Philippines country team would help in emergency assistance like enhancing agri-fishery productivity and resilience.

The DA chief also said that FAO-Philippines Representative Lionel Dabbadie has been coordinating with the Philippine government and stakeholders to align the organization’s initiatives to address the current challenges faced by agri-fishery.

Just last week, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) found that Bajo de Masinloc was damaged due to cyanide fishing done by Chinese and Vietnamese fisherfolk, which affected the local fishermen.

“We value a strong FAO Country Office in the Philippines with the FAO Headquarters’ continued full support, including technical cooperation programs,” Tiu Laurel said.

“We would also appreciate continued assistance for the successful implementation of the Green Climate Fund project for the Philippines,” he added.

Meanwhile, the agriculture officials talked about improving the rice productivity in the Philippines amid the prolonged dry spell. They mentioned the partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and local government units (LGUs) to work on better rice varieties that can withstand changing climates.

Furthermore, to transform and modernize the agri-food system, the officials stated that “The roles of technology, innovation, equipment, mechanization, and digitalization,” would make Agriculture sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.

The agriculture chief was joined by DA Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Alvin John Balagbag, Deputy Chief of Mission Nina Cainglet, and Agriculture Attaché Josyline Javelosa.